


A Modern Age - A Modern Tudor Story

by Samantha Moreau (Samm_conn)



Category: The Six Wives of Henry VIII (TV 1970), The Tudors (TV)
Genre: F/M, Modern Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-05-25 08:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14973635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samm_conn/pseuds/Samantha%20Moreau
Summary: What if the infamous Henry VIII and his six wives lived in the modern world?Catherine Aragon is the first of the six wives, yet she believes that the love she and Henry share will last an eternity. There will be many bumps in the road, but she can not predict the future and just prays to God that they will create a large, happy family.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just want to thank anyone who takes the time to read this! This is the first time I have ever written, let alone posted, a fanfiction. I have been in love with English history especially around the Tudors so of course on my mind the question of what would these people be like in this modern day and age? I have played around with this idea for years before I finally decided I just had to write it. I'm hoping that I can capture the likeness of these historical people.

Prolougue

The sound of his shallow breathing was almost soothing to Catherine. She closed her eyes listening to the almost steady breathing of her husband as he lay in the bed, machines monitoring all his vitals humming away around them. This was not how either of them had imagined the first few months of their marriage would be like. They had discussed more of a tropical, happy setting leading up to their marriage. Of course, those plans had changed once the doctor's diagnosis came in.

Arthur had never been robust, always seeming like he was on the verge of a cold, no matter what the time of year. When Catherine had first met him, it was at their parents insistance. They were both from very wealthy and important families. She knew that her parents thought of whenever she got married to be more of a merger and didn't really think about her happiness. Catherine had not expected that after a few meetings she would have fallen for the pale Tudor boy. But she had.

Catherine raised her head from the edge of the bed as Arthur shifted. He breathed out deeply before his breath went back to being raspy. She heard another exhale and looked across the room to where a tall woman was kneeling before a large gold cross. Margaret Stanley, Arthur's grandmother, had remained there in vigil praying to God for the health of her eldest grandson. She had taken his illness harder than any of the Tudor family, having strived to ensure that this dynasty lived long and did not falter.

Granted that in this day and age that women were more than capable of running any company, this family held firm believes that men inherited first. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There was even a clause in his late grandfather's will that demanded a son take over the Tudor's company, Arthur had shown her one night while he was going over a package of documents that had been sent over by his father.

Her eyes drifted back to Arthur before moving on to his heart monitor. Four months they had been married. It was not long enough. Her hand slipped over top of his while she clutched her rosary in the other. It was unusually quiet in the room that night and that seemed to unnerve her more than the machines around the room. Arthur's mother was not in the room that night like she had been the last couple after Arthur had taken a turn for the worse. She was with her younger children that night. Henry and Margaret were taking their brother's impending death as best as they could, being old enough to fully grasp the situation. Mary on the other hand was only ten years old and had started waking up in the middle of the night screaming. Their mother had chosen to be with her youngest daughter after Mary had another restless night.

Being from a rich family gave Arthur a bit of an advantage as he lay dying. He was able to stay at home as his family could afford all the machines and help that he needed. Catherine knew in her heart that Arthur should be given the chance to pass away peacefully. It broke her heart seeing him attached to all the machines when all the doctors had told the family that he was dying and there was nothing they could do. He should be made comfortable, not poked and prodded. Catherine knew it was near the end when Arthur remained asleep and nothing they could do could get him to open his eyes. It was his father and grandmother who failed to see the finality in this illness. Even though she prayed that there would be a miracle and he would be revived to her, Catherine knew that she would never get to be with her husband again. She only wished that his grandmother would see that. She prayed all day and night asking, begging God to spare her favorite grandchild.

A sudden beeping brought her back from her thoughts. Jumping up, Catherine kept her gaze on the heart monitor's screen as it lit up. She grabbed the nurse call button that they had installed in case the nurse wasn't in the room. But just as she pressed it, two nurses ran into the room, one pulling her away from the bed as the other grabbed a cart from the side of the room, wheeling it over.

Catherine would have fallen to her knees next to Margaret and prayed if the nurse hadn't pushed her into the hallway, pushing Margaret out as well. She grabbed onto the older woman as they both knelt down outside the door watching as the nurses tried to revive Arthur.

Catherine was only vaguely aware of the other family members joining them in the hallway as she kept her eyes on her husband, running her rosary through her fingers, prays silently forming on her lips. A vision passed before her eyes. His blues eyes sparkled as he smiled. His fair hair moved as if caught in a breeze. He raised his hand to her in the way he always did, her name on his lips.

And then he was gone.

֎

Catherine Aragon

April 21 st 2XX0

  
  


The sunlight was blinding. I rolled over in bed, wrapping the thick duvet around myself. It may be April, but the mornings were still chilly. It had been four years since Arthur passed away and I found I was beginning to believe that I could finally be happy. After a lengthy mourning and trying to figure out what to do, I had decided it was best to stay put. I liked where I lived and didn't want to have to move back home like my late elder sister, Isabel, had done when her first husband had passed away. My family is quite close knit and has suffered a few losses in the last ten years. First, my older brother, Juan, passed away from a weak heart, then Isabel passed away due to complications in childbirth; the baby dying the next year. We seemed to have been spared the pain of loss until my mother passed away two years after Arthur had. Despite all of the modern medicine in the world, not every one was spared. Now it was just myself, my father, and my two older sisters left to carry on our loved ones memories.

I had found the support and love that I needed in Arthur's family after his death. Mostly in the form of his siblings and mother. Arthur's father was always busy running his company, constantly being in meetings and dealings all over the world and his grandmother, a formidable woman, was never one to grieve in public nor drop the icy demeanor for anyone. The one person that I had felt the most drawn to and had become a close friend and confidant was Henry. Despite being four years younger, he brought me the comfort that I needed as I in turn helped him overcome his own grief.

Climbing out of bed, I grabbed the robe that is strewn over the chest at the foot of the bed. I wanted nothing more then to have a relaxing day for this evening was not going to be quite so comfortable. There was an important dinner that night celebrating Arthur's father, Henry Senior, and his company. It was an important moment for my former father-in-law and I had been invited accordingly.

Although, there was another reason I was still invested in my late husband's family. I had found myself falling in love again; this time to my former brother-in-law, Henry. It happened so gradually that by the time I realized, it was too late. I was enamored by his charm and wits. To me, Henry was perfect. The way he smiled and looked at me always makes me melt. I tried – I really did - to distance myself from him at first, worried by the age difference. But by the time Henry had turned nineteen, I realized that Henry too was in love. He pursued me with a fiery passion that burned in all the Tudor siblings – something that I sadly never saw in Arthur. I tried to put him off, tried to lie to both myself and him. But as the year wore on, my resolve never faltered until just before his twentieth birthday, I conceded to defeat and allowed him to take me out for dinner. 

Never before had I realized just how much of a romantic Henry was until that night when dressed in a smart suit, he picked me up and took me to a private dinner. There had been candles, roses, a harpist somewhere in the mix and by the time he dropped me off, I knew. I knew that there was no one else that I could see myself with. I was besotted. I was happy.

Now, almost a year to the date, I was still besotted, still so in love. Still happy.

֎

 

Pulling back a strand of fair hair, I pinned it back and glanced at my reflection. I smoothed down any fly-aways and once satisfied, moved away from my vanity table. I wanted to look respectable, especially with Henry's overly critical grandmother being present at the dinner that night. I heard movement outside my bedroom. Grabbing my clutch after making sure my rosary was inside, I ventured out into the hall of my townhouse. “Henry?” The hall was dark and when I found the switch, the lights wouldn't turn on. I glanced back to my room where the light was still on. The power wasn't out. I continued down the hall, my hand grazing the wall as I moved. “Henry? Is that you?” I could see a dim glow coming from the atrium. Heading out onto the interior balcony that overlooked the atrium, my hand flew to my lips. Down below, what must have been a hundred candles lit, spelling out: Will you marry me? Next to the candles stood Henry surrounded by white and red roses.

I slowly descended the stairs, taking in the scene. Henry met me at the bottom, taking my hand in his. He gently kissed my fingers before kneeling down. He kept a soft grip on my hand as a serious expression crossed his face. “I have to know how you feel, sweet Catherine.”

“You know I-”

“I love you like the sun,” Henry interrupted. “You were there for my brother in his final hours, a loving nursemaid. You were there for me after his death, in my grief. You have been the strong constant that I know will never fail. You make me a better man and I want to be your loyal heart forever.” He gripped my hand. “And if I am right, you feel the same way. So please Catherine, will you marry me?”

A warm feeling spread over my body, starting from my racing heart and ending at the tips of my fingers and toes. I couldn't contain the instant joy I experienced, my lips spreading into a wide smile. “Of course I will, Henry. Of course I will!” I pulled him up and threw my arms around him. He held me tightly until he pulled back, slipping a small black box from his pocket. I pressed my fingers to my lips again as he opened the box and presented me with the delicate diamond ring inside. I kissed him as he slipped it onto the third finger on my left hand. “It's beautiful,” I breathed.

֎

 

“We will tell everyone after the dinner,” Henry said, cradling my hands in his own. I leaned against him, my gaze resting outside the car's window. The driver had kept the divider up, giving us privacy, allowing the world around us to be quiet.

“Of course,” I agreed. “If we overshadow your father's dinner I'm sure your grandmother will be quite angry.” Henry smirked and I knew that he really didn't care how his family feels - he only ever cared about how things affected himself. If he had, he would never had persued me, let alone propose. She could already hear the protests from his grandmother.

I looked up at the sound of the mechanical whirling of the divider lowering. “Sir,” the driver's voice sounded cautious, unsure.

“What is it?” Henry asked, impatient at the interruption.

I noticed the lights and vehicles before Henry did. “Henry...Something has happened.” The driver pulled over farther down the driveway then normal to allow room for the ambulance.

Henry was out of the car before the driver had a chance to get out and around the car. I quickly followed afterward, shooting the driver an apologetic look for Henry's rashness. I hurried after Henry and caught his arm as he stopped, watching the paramedics lift the gurney with the black bag into the back of the ambulance. I watched in shock, not knowing who was gone. My eyes darted to the porch where three figures stood, watching as well. One of them looked over at us and quickly hurried down the stairs.

“Thank God you are here,” Margaret, Henry's older sister said, her voice catching. “It's father,” she said, looking back as the ambulance pulled away from the great house. “I don't know what happened. He was in his study preparing to speak to his guests when grandmother went to find him. She found him collapsed. The paramedics said it looks like it was a heart attack.” I reached for her. “First Arthur, then mother...now father.” Margaret shook her head.

I felt Henry's arm tighten beneath my hand. “Let's go inside,” I said softly, taking the siblings by the hand and leading them towards the stairs.

Standing outside was Henry's formidable grandmother, her dark eyes never leaving the ambulance as it pulled away and down the long driveway. Inside was her beloved son, who now too had been taken from her. Next to her was Henry's younger sister, Mary. The poor girl was only fourteen and had now lost both her parents in the span of a few years; their mother having passed the year after Arthur. She looked up at me with her misty blue eyes and her shoulders moved as if she would sob. Her grandmother turned and took her by the arm, guiding her back into the house, past the party guests who had already arrived and into their private drawing room.

Henry shut the door after his family had entered. He had briefly spoken to the guests asking those who were on his father's board to meet him in his father's study. The others, he apologized to and asked politely for them to leave his family in their time of grief. “I don't have long,” he said, his eyes raking over his family seated near the fireplace. “I have to handle the situation quickly with the board members as well as get a statement ready with the company's publicist.”

“Can't that wait until morning?” Margaret asked, wringing a handkerchief in her hands.

“No it can't,” their grandmother interceded. “He has to show the board members that he is in control as the company's next CEO. He is the rightful owner and must make sure that there is no doubt in their minds.”

Henry nodded as his grandmother spoke. I was worried about how Henry was taking his father's death. With Arthur's, he had been saddened, with his mother's death, he had been nearly inconsolable. I studied his face. He had a determined, almost gleeful look to his face. I knew that he never had gotten along well with his father, but the man was dead. I wanted nothing more then to call the driver and get him to take myself and Henry back to my place. Anywhere but here. I wanted him alone, so I could help him grieve, so he could start grieving. That way, I won't be worried that he was already over the death of the man who raised him. I moved to stand but stopped when Henry put up his hand.

“Catherine, I really need to speak with the board members waiting for me. I need to go with a clear head. I need to be decisive.” He shook his head as I went to speak against his plan. “When this is over, we'll go home. But until then, I'm needed here. Please understand.” He didn't give me a chance to speak. He turned and is gone from the room. I sit back, startled at the change in Henry. I looked over at his grandmother who has settled into a chair by the fire, her rosary in her hands, silent prayers on her lips.

 

֎

 

After helping Margaret and Mary to bed, I found myself alone with their grandmother. Margaret Stanley; matriarch of the Tudor Family. She married Henry Senior's father at a young age and was pregnant almost right away. She came from a very ambitious family and the match was definitely not a love match. Unfortunately, her husband died before Henry Senior was born of some unknown illness. Shortly after that, she married a man named Henry Stafford, a quiet, comfortable man who liked to keep to himself and his home. From what I heard, he had been very kind and treated Margaret well. He too died after they had been married ten years from an injury he had sustained horseback riding. This death left Margaret very wealthy and thus choosy of her next husband. She chose Thomas Stanley, a man whom she knew would help elevate her in the world. I remember meeting him once or twice before he died. I never got a good impression of him, but from what I gathered, he was a very calculating, sly fox of a man. He never chose sides until the bitter end and only the side of which was the clear winner. After he passed away, Margaret was in her early sixties and clearly did not want to marry again. I never understood why she decided to keep his name as she could have easily changed it back to Tudor.

This woman had always intimidated me. She always wanted to be the first lady of the family. After her daughter-in-law passed away, it was clearly her who was the first lady. Her son trusted no one else but her. This was a woman who did not like other women.

I made my way over to her and knelt down next to her. “Mrs. Stanley,” I said quietly. Her dark gaze moved my way and I tried not to flinch away.

“What is it, girl?” Her voice could not be dripping with any more venom.

“May I...May I pray with you?” I asked.

The look that passed over her face was hard to decipher. Either she was impressed or merely thought I was quite a fool. She shrugged and closed her dark eyes. I took the silence as approval and settled down on my knees, taking out my rosary. I prayed for the soul of my late father-in-law and I prayed for Henry. I prayed for our future and I prayed that no matter what, our love would always be strong.

 

֎

 

I felt like I was starting to doze off sitting there on my knees when the door opened and in strode Henry. He looked tired, but triumphant. His grandmother looked up and stood up, nearly knocking me over in the process. “It's over,” Henry said. “We had to make some calls, interrupt some dinners, but the papers will all be delivered by courier in the morning. All I have to do is sign and have the board members to sign and the company is completely in my name. There were no objections. I think they all knew it was time.”

Mrs. Stanley had a look of relief cross her face. Like me, she must have been worried that her son's legacy would be disputed by greedy old men. “Catherine,” Henry stretched out his hand to me. “Let's go upstairs. It's late. You can stay in a room here.” I crossed the room and took his hand. “Good night, Grandmother,” he said. I hear her voice catch in her throat as she goes to speak. I looked back at her and saw that her gaze was focused on my left hand.

“What is that?” her voice is tight and quiet.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Henry interceded. “I asked Catherine to marry me,” he said shortly.

“How can you? She is your brother's widow!” Mrs. Stanley raised her voice. “You can not marry her! Think of the scandal! Think of your future!”

“I thank you for your opinion,” Henry said. “However, you do not make my decisions for me. I have asked Catherine to marry me and she has agreed. There is nothing left to decide besides when and where. If you do not agree, then I will be sorry not to have you there with us celebrating.” He gripped my hand and turned me with him. I threw a quick glance back over my shoulder and watched as she sank back into her chair; defeated.

 

 

 

Catherine Aragon

January 2XX1

 

Henry's rise to the CEO of his late father's company was smooth and flawless. There were no hiccups and everyone welcomed his leadership with ease. The months flew by and our wedding came and went. It was a quiet event, much smaller than my first wedding. But I didn't care. I'm so happy that I get to spend the rest of my days with Henry that we could have eloped and I would have been just as happy. The only thing that takes away the wedding bliss is the passing of Henry's formidable grandmother two months after his father's death. Henry barely seemed to blink an eye at the fact that his immediate family was growing smaller and smaller.

Before I knew it, I found out I was pregnant with our first child. It was mid August when I told Henry the news. He was just as excited as I was at the prospect of starting a family.

However, it was not meant to be.

֎

 

“I'm sorry for your loss,” the nurse said softly as she placed the glass of water on the bedside table. My back was to her as I gripped the corner of my pillow. I was still having trouble accepting what had happened. Everything had been going so well. So why did my baby girl have to come early? Why did she have to die?

I clenched my eyes closed at the thought of her little pink body being taken away by the sullen and silent nurses. I could hear them speaking softly. “She's too small.” “She's come too early.” I buried my face in my pillow, the tears coming faster with every shaky breathe I took.

 

 

Catherine Aragon

November 2XX1

 

“And you're sure?” Henry asked the doctor.

“Everything is normal, I assure you,” the doctor said with a nod. “The baby is healthy and so is the mother.” He gave me a smile as I pulled my shirt down over my round belly. “If you are worried, then all I can recommend is rest and relaxation. From the ultrasound, the baby is the right size and is on schedule for its new years birthday.”

Henry took my hand and gave it a small squeeze. It was good news. Very good news. After the death of our first child, we didn't want to be too careful. We were two months away from the baby's birth and we were taking every precaution possible. I gave Henry a small smile as he helped me sit up. “I'm sure that won't be too hard,” I said to the doctor. “I'm not even allowed to walk let alone stress about every day things.” I gestured across the room to the wheelchair that Henry was bringing over to the side of the bed.

Henry noticed the attention. “It's only to keep you off your feet,” he said, defensively. “You yourself said walking was uncomfortable. I thought this was a suitable solution.” He looked to the doctor for his input but the doctor merely made an attempt to look busy with his paperwork.

“Everything is order, Mrs. Tudor,” the doctor said with a smile, looking my way. “I will see you in a few weeks time for another check up. Just remember rest, healthy food and lots of water.” He picked up my file and with a small nod to my husband, left the room.

“You can breathe now,” I said over to Henry. “Everything is perfect.” I rested a hand on my round stomach. “Just two more months and then we will have the start to our family.” He leaned over, kissing me on the forehead.

֎

 

I walked into the nursery. It was the room next to mine, something I had wanted to make me more comfortable. I took a moment and let the room's atmosphere wash over me. It was painted in mainly green; we had decided that we would wait to know the gender of the baby. I knew it bothered Henry slightly, but with some gentle persuasion he had seen things my way. I sat down in the rocking chair next to the window. The afternoon sun was refreshing and I could not wait to rock my baby to sleep here. I closed my eyes and rested my hand on my stomach; it had been an easy pregnancy this time round and I prayed every night that nothing goes wrong and that I will be able to hold and love my precious baby.

“There you are.”

I looked up to see Mary, Henry's younger sister, come into the nursery. “I was looking all over for you. Which isn't that hard since you're always either in your room or here. How was the check up?” She sat in front of me on the ottoman.

“Good,” I said with a small smile. “The doctor said everything is fine and as it should be. Henry is still nervous though.” I didn't want to add how scared I was.

“That's good news,” she said to me with a bright smile.

I regarded her for a moment, my eyes drifting to the clock on the wall. “Shouldn't you be in school?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mary shrugged, picking at her manicured nails. “I was bored,” she said, “besides, I wanted to hear how the baby was doing.”

“You shouldn't skip school,” I said, rubbing my hand over my round belly. “You're so close to graduating. If you just tough it out, it'll be worth it.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “But my trust fund doesn't kick in until I'm twenty-one. I'm sure Henry is going to force me to go to college.”

I motioned for her to turn around. Taking her long red-gold hair in my hands, I began to braid it. “Your brother cares about you, you know that,” I said to her as she leaned her head back. “He wants nothing but the best for you. I'm sure if you speak with him, he will have a lot of insight into your future and what you plan on doing. He won't force you into anything.” She sighed, letting me finish braiding her hair. Over the years, her and I had grown close, spending many late nights chatting. She was only eleven when her mother had passed away; I felt like she may have used me to fill the void.

“He can be impossible to talk to at times,” Mary said. “He won't even give me more money then what I already get monthly.”

“He's your guardian,” I said simply. “He has your best interests at heart. He wants to make sure that when you do come of age that you have a nest egg and will have something to start with when you start your own life.”

Mary pulled away and turned to face me. “Well I'm over it,” she said impatiently. “I want my freedom.” She quickly stands up.

“Mary-”

“Oh, I'm not mad at you,” Mary interrupted me. “I'm glad the baby's okay.” She walked across the room and paused in the doorway. “And I'll go back to school. I'll see you at dinner.” With a flick of her braid over her shoulder, Mary strode from the room without another word.

 

Catherine Aragon

December 31 st 2XX1 - January 1 st 2XX2

 

The night was full of glitz and glamour. Henry always knew how to throw a party and this New Year's Eve party was no exception. I was sitting with some of my friends in the sitting room, resting as much as I could. I was due to give birth any day now and getting comfortable was near impossible. Every time I moved when Henry was around, he would shoot me a nervous look as if the baby was coming right then and there.

Mary plunked herself down next to me, sloshing a bit of whatever she was drinking on the floor. “It's getting close to midnight,” she said, resting back. I watched as her eyes drifted across the room, landing on a familiar face.

“He's too old for you,” I said, taking a sip of my water. “And your brother's best friend.”

“But Charles Brandon is the most handsome man in the room. He's smart, sexy, witty, overall damn attractive,” Mary sighed.

“And again, too old,” I said. “He is almost ten years older than you. You-” I paused, resting my hand on my stomach. I exhaled sharply and all the people around me turn their attention to me. In moments Henry was at my side.

“Is it...?”

“It's time,” I said trying my hardest to smile as a contraction gripped my stomach.

֎

 

He ws perfect.

The way he scrunched up his face before he started to cry, his little fingers and toes, his dark eyes, everything about him was perfect. Little Henry came into the world screaming at the top of his little lungs a little after 2 AM. The nurse smiled as she placed him in my arms, bundled loosely in a blanket.

“Congratulations,” the nurse said with a smile, “a healthy baby boy.”

I looked up and caught my husband's glance. We smiled at each other, another bond forming between us: parenthood.

“He's so small,” Henry said, stepping up to my side as the nurse left the room. “But he's healthy and he's our son, a perfect son.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” I admitted, settling back against my pillows. “But happy. So very happy. We finally have a start to our family, Henry.”

“And I'm sure more children will follow,” Henry said with a smile. He looked back over his shoulder. “I think there are people wishing to congratulate us.” Outside a small group of our close friends waited in the hall, curious to see the new addition to our family.

“Then we shouldn't make them wait.”

֎

 

Catherine Aragon

February 23 rd 2XX2

 

A month and a half passed by after the birth of Henry. To ease confusion, we took to calling him Harry and he was the most loved and happiest baby I had ever seen – although I might have be biased. The first time he smiled at me I felt my heart soar; I had longed for the moment I would be a mother and that moment had finally arrived. I had never seen Henry so confident and ecstatic. Shortly after Harry's birth, he threw an elaborate – expensive – party and spared no expense for his son. Here was the continuation of his line; his legacy. At that moment, all doubts had been erased. Any fears I had of Henry leaving me after the heartbreak of our ill fated first child were long gone. I had seen him flirt and had worried he was already choosing my replacement, but now, now Henry wanted no one else but me. And this made him all the more passionate and attentive. We were in love and nothing could destroy that or our little family. 

“Was that a knock?” I looked away from Henry for a moment. We were entangled in bed, winding down after a long day.

“You're hearing things,” Henry said as he buried his face against my neck. As his kissed trail down my neck, his hands find their way under the covers, pulling at the hem of my night gown. He was already on top of me and I could feel him ready.

There was a sharp knock on the door and this time a voice followed. “Please come quickly!” It was the nanny and at once I slid out from under Henry. He groaned as he rolled onto his back. “It's probably just a little cold,” he said, not trying to hide his annoyance. I didn't listen, grabbing my robe and hurrying from the room.

I ran across the hall after the nanny, stopping next to Harry's crib. My hand flew to my mouth before I reached down for him. His little perfect face was still and blue. “What happened? Have you called an ambulance?”

His nanny nodded. “They should be here any minute...I was tidying up and went to get his laundry from down the hall and when I got back – I was only gone for five minutes – he was like this.. I'm so sorry I...” She buried her face in her hands. 

I heard a sharp intake of breath and knew that Henry was beside me. Our first born son was lost to us.

֎

 

The doctors call it SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. And it was not something that could be predicted. Not something that they knew the cause of. All we take from them is that it happened to one in every thousand babies and that they were sorry for our loss. But that didn't help. Nothing did. Nothing would bring back my Harry and that tore me apart. 

 

Catherine Aragon

February - April 2XX2

 

I spent my nights and days either sleeping or sitting in the nursery. I couldn't find the strength to leave, always hoping that the nanny would appear with Harry in her arms as if she had just taken him out for some fresh air. But the reality was, he was lost to me. My friends visited less and less over the next few months as I grieved. I heard from Mary that Henry has taken to staying in his study, having a cot set up and barely leaving except to go to the office.

One day in April as I was gazing out the window a loud bang from the bedroom next door startled me. I got up and followed the noise into my bedroom. I pushed open the door and Henry was standing in the middle of the room looking down at a mess of books and papers on the floor.

“Henry?” He jumped slightly and glanced back at me for a moment before kneeling down to start picking up the papers and books.

“Hello Catherine,” he said back to me. “I'm sorry did I disturb you?” he asked softly.

“Not at all,” I said as I walked over and started to help him. His hand reached over to stop mine. “Let me help you,” I said reaching around his hand.

“Catherine, it's fine,” Henry sighed.

“No, no it's not,” I disagreed. “It's not fine. Everything hasn't been fine in months.” And suddenly everything came flooding up. “We've barely spoken since we lost Harry. You've been so distant that I don't even know how you are doing.” I could feel the tears coming faster then I could stop them. “I'm so sorry, Henry..I don't know what happened. I feel like it's all my fault. That there was something I should've done.” I started as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

“Catherine...None of this is your fault,” he said to me but I have a feeling that he doesn't truly believe his own words.

"Do you truly believe that?" I asked, glancing up at him. He turned his face from me, not bringing himself to look at my face.

"Of course it wasn't your fault," Henry said, looking down at me, a strained smile crossing his lips. "No one was a more loving mother than you were to him."

I nodded. I didn't have the heart to argue with him. This was the closest we had been in months. I was not only heartbroken after the loss of my son, but also at the loss of being close to the man I loved. I buried my face into his shoulder and let him hold me. He eventually relaxed, the tenseness I could feel beneath his shoulders disappearing. I didn't have the strength to ask him if our relationship was still okay, if he still loved me. I couldn't bare the answer.

That time for the first time in two months, Henry and I shared a bed. He didn't come into the room until late making it feel like he had almost decided against it. He slid in next to me and I felt him hesitate. "Henry," I turned over to face him. I reached out to him, opening my heart and body to him. He moved closer, allowing me to wrap my arms around him. I let him bury his face in my hair. I felt him shudder and breath in deeply.

"Sweet Catherine," he said into my hair, his hands sliding down toward my hips.


	2. Catherine Aragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if the infamous Henry VIII and his six wives lived in the modern world?
> 
> Catherine Aragon is the first of the six wives, yet she believes that the love she and Henry share will last an eternity. There will be many bumps in the road, but she can not predict the future and just prays to God that they will create a large, happy family.
> 
> Here is part two, a continuation of Catherine Aragon's marriage to Henry Tudor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to those who have taken the time to read this! I'm still fairly new to posting my work and I have yet to get into the rhythm of posting frequently as for some reason, the words didn't want to come to me right away this time. I hope to be able to post something every week! 
> 
> I want to mention that I have changed around some timing of events that happened. I found that condensing things fit moree with how it doesn't take a long time to travel and for information to get places in this modern day and age.

Catherine of Aragon  
September 2XX2

Over the next few months I noticed Henry's glances in my direction turn from loving to ones of resentment. I watched as his glittering eyes turned dark and cold. I knew he was wondering why I had yet to become pregnant. I just knew. It wasn't like we weren't trying; he rarely spent a night away from our bed. I tried my best to put on a smile every time our eyes met but the longer I had to force my smiles, the harder I found it was to go on pretending. The growing indifference that he slowly began to show me was like a weight on my already overburdened shoulders. I would try to reach for him but something would always come up and he would leave for important meetings, dinners, conference calls. 

I tried to breach the gap between us. I knew he wanted nothing more than a large family with many sons to follow in his footsteps. It was in those moments that I wished that Henry had not grown up in a family where it was instilled in his mind since he was born that men were essential for the continuity of the Tudor dynasty. It broke my heart to know that any daughter I bore him would remain less important in his heart than any son we would have. There had been many times I had to hold my tongue, wanting nothing more than to try and make him see how wrong that ideal was. Women were just as strong, just as brilliant as any man. They could run empires as good as any man. My own mother for example, Isabella Castile had successfully brought her own family's enterprise from the brink of bankruptcy after her brothers had passed away. Not only that, she had merged with my father's company, joining together to make one of the most successful conglomerates this century had ever seen. My mother had also made sure that my sisters and I learned from a young age that women were not the inferior gender; that when needed we were soldiers, queens.

I had tried to talk to him about possibly seeing a doctor about our troubles. It was hard to ignore the flare of anger that appeared in his eyes as I continued to explain about the many ways we could still have children. I told him I would go get checked out and see why I hadn't gotten pregnant again. He seemed to like the idea until he realized that the doctor would want to check him out as well. And that was the end of that. I understood that he was traditional and didn't want to rely on modern medicine to cure this issue. He believed in God's way and that was it. Deep down I knew that wasn't the issue. It was his pride. Even though he knew that the man chose the gender of any child he fathered, it wasn't his fault if I gave him a daughter. And even though Harry's death was neither of our faults, he still blamed me. He blamed me for the lack of children in our lives. And he was starting to forget to hide it. 

֎

“I'm sure he doesn't blame you,” Maria Willoughby said with a simple smile as she rested her hand on top of mine. I had known her since we were children and we both had gone to the same college together; even though I'm sure my parents convinced her to so that I would not be alone in a new city. However since then she had married and moved several cities over so a visit from her was rare and always something I looked forward to. Earlier in the year she had come to visit me shortly after losing Harry. She had once been a calming presence in my life and even after a few years, that hadn't changed.  
“You don't see the way he looks at me, Maria,” I said, looking down and away from her. “It's like he's a completely different person. I don't know what I'm going to do. He won't listen to me about seeing a doctor. I think if we did that, we could solve a lot of things.” I pulled my hand from her and reached for a cup of tea, hoping that Maria would not see how much my hands started to shake.  
“I'm sure he is just still grieving,” Maria said, trying her hardest to reassure me. I looked back up at her and tried to banish the tears that threatened my tired eyes. “Oh sweet heart, it'll be okay,” she said, putting down her own cup. She got up and sat down on the edge of my chair, pulling me close. “Losing a child is a hard thing on both the parents. He may be taking longer to go through the stages of grief. Plus Henry is probably bottling up most of his emotions so it's coming out in different ways. And unfortunately you're the closest to him so he would take it out on you. It's a sad thing, but it's what usually happens.”  
All I could do was nod as I hid my face in her shoulder. I had thought that once Henry and I had reconciled things would be easier, that everything would go back to being okay and happy. But as the weeks passed, that wasn't happening. I was tired of hurting, tired of feeling alone.  
“Just give him a little more time,” Maria said softly. I felt like screaming. Why was it that he was allowed to act this way? Why was he blaming me for everything? I prayed day and night for God to bless us with a child. There was nothing I wanted more than to be the mother of Henry's children. But it didn't seem to be enough. Nothing I did seemed to be enough.  


֎  


After Maria left I found myself sitting in the large bay window next to our kitchen. I was drawn to this spot where I would watch the sun rise and set when given the chance. As the summer ended and all the garden and dinner parties slowed down I started to have more time to do things that I wanted to do. I wasn't a person with many hobbies, I liked to read and maybe a bit of gardening, but nothing very notable so I started to find I had a lot more free time to do whatever I wanted. I tried to keep Mary at bay and not run crazy over the summer, especially with only two years left of high school she wanted nothing more than to rebel against Henry.

Resting my head against the window frame, I was startled by the sound of someone moving toward me. Sitting up I watched as Henry sat down next to me. “Did I scare you?” he asked softly. 

“No no,” I said, trying my best to smile. “I was just focused elsewhere.” Why had he come to see me? Usually I didn't see him until we went to bed. And even then I was first in bed and he came in later. “How was your day, Henry?” I asked, not knowing what else to say at that moment, worried I would set off his temper. 

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Henry said. “I've noticed that you have a lot more time on your hands and I've been thinking,” he said without missing a beat. “That you should come with me to the office.”

“Oh?” This was an unusual request. Sure I had been to his main office several times but mostly when we had plans for dinner or a show. Maybe a party even. “Is there a lunch meeting you need me at?”

“I was thinking you could come and help me out,” Henry said. “I love having you at my side in every other aspect in my life so why not at work?” He glanced out the window taking in the sight of the pink and blue sky. “What say you?”

“Of course, Henry,” I said, trying not to show just how excited I was at the prospect. While I my not have completed any degrees, I had dabbled in some college business courses before I had married Arthur. I had decided I wanted to be a stay at home wife around the time Arthur and I had gotten serious. After being raised in a large family, I wanted nothing more than to raise my own. I had helped out at my parents' company during most of my summers in high school so I wasn't unfamiliar with working, but motherhood was always a dream of mine so I did not care if I spent my days at home while my husband worked. 

“Wonderful,” Henry said with a beaming smile. “We will go in in the morning. I'm sure you will love it just as much as I'll love having you around.” He reached for my hand and gave it a quick squeeze before standing up. “I have a few calls to make and then I'll be heading up to bed.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead before turning to leave. 

“I love you, Henry,” I said after him. 

“I love you too, my sweet Catherine.”  


֎

The main office building was an impressive piece of architecture and I was always catching myself being in awe of it every time I stepped up to it. The sun always seemed to catch it just right, the large rose emblem on the building glittering in the light.

I stepped out of the town car and Henry came around, holding out his arm to me. I smiled as I let him escort me into the building. I glanced around as Henry began explaining everything that had been going on over the last few weeks. The lobby was bustling as ever with interns running here and there with coffee, business men talking on their cellphones and delivery men coming and going. I found it hard to listen to what Henry was saying until we got into the elevator. 

Henry pressed the button to his office floor and turned to me. 

“I find I have been able to have more time on my hands ever since Thomas came to work for me,” He said down to me. 

“I'm sorry,” I said, my attention finally focusing on the conversation. “Who is Thomas?”

“Thomas Wolsey,” Henry said, a slight irritated tone coming into his voice. “My father hired him years ago, but when I saw the work he was capable of doing, I moved him up so he was working directly under me. He's basically my right hand man. He takes care of anything that would be a waste of my time. Why do you think I had so much free time this summer to spend with you?”

Now that he mentioned it, I had noticed that he had been around the house more often that summer, not that he had actually spent a lot of that time with me while at our home. I had figured he had taken a vacation. 

“You'll meet him shortly anyway,” Henry said as the elevator came to a stop and opened. He motioned for me to step out ahead of him. Turning my attention to the office ahead, I stepped out into the quiet of his office. There were only two offices on that floor: one Henry used and another that had been empty since his grandmother had passed away. A secretary sat at her desk that stood directly between the two offices. She got up when Henry walked off the elevator and headed straight over. “Good morning, Mr. Tudor,” she said with a quick smile. “Mrs. Tudor.” Her eyes flitted over to me briefly before she looked back to my husband. “Mr. Wolsey would like to speak to you as soon as you are available,” she said up to him. “It's something about the Valois.” 

“Of course,” Henry said. “Did HR send up anyone this morning?”

“Yes they did,” his secretary said. “I sent her to get some coffee.” She motioned toward the small room that was tucked around the corner from the elevator. “I will go and grab her for you.”

Henry watched as his secretary hurried away before turning back to me. “I got Thomas to speak to HR about getting you a personal assistant,” he said with a small smile. “She will be able to help you with anything you need. There she is right now.” Henry turned me towards the two women. 

I watched as Henry's secretary led a tall woman with wavy blonde hair from the small kitchen. She had a calming air about her and when her kind eyes rested on me I found myself thinking that I could possibly like having this woman as my personal assistant. 

“May I introduce Elizabeth Blount,” Henry's secretary said. 

“Please call me Bessie,” the woman said, holding out her hand to me. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tudor. I look forward to working for you.”

“Likewise,” I said with a smile as I shook her hand. 

Catherine Aragon  
June 30, 2XX4

“And you're sure you have everything?” I closed the top of Henry's suitcase, turning to him.

“I have everything,” Henry said with a small smile. “I shouldn't be gone for too long.” He walked over and wrapped his arm around me. “Are you sure you will be alright?”

“Everything will be fine here,” I said, trying to reassure him. “The only thing interesting that might happen here is the fact that Mary is now a high school graduate and she wants her freedom more than anything.”

“Well, I'm leaving it to you to make sure that she doesn't go crazy,” he said, giving my shoulders a small squeeze. “I have already spoken to her and told her to try and help you out as much as possible.” His hand moved down to my stomach, resting on the small bump that was finally beginning to show. I was only three months pregnant with a lot of hopes on this pregnancy. Henry was skeptical of anything the doctor had said about everything going on as normal, especially after Harry. It took a lot of presuading before Henry had felt comfortable with leaving. He was going overseas to look into buying out a company in France with the help of my father. I was incredibly happy to see my father and husband working together. I wanted to bring my whole family together and I hoped that this was just the first stepping stone. 

“That should be interesting to see,” I said with a laugh. Mary was a spoiled princess. I knew that she meant well and did try to take an interest, but she also wanted to be treated like an adult; a thing that Henry struggled to do. It was always a battle of tempers when it came to the Tudor children. I thought it would get at least a bit better once Margaret had left, but that had only raised tensions when Mary tried to test the boundaries set by her older brother. I was hoping that with Henry away for a bit things would be quieter. I had already spoken to Mary and made plans for her to come intern at Henry's company to give her some work experience and distractions over the summer before college. If she went. Henry had mapped out her future already and Mary wanted nothing more than to go against everything he said. She was to go to college he said, none of this was in her plans for her future. As soon as she had heard that he wanted her to go to college to broaden her education she decided she wanted to backpack across Europe and take a gap year. I was not going to miss the yelling. 

“Don't feel like you can't reach out to me,” Henry said, pulling away to pull his suitcase from the bed. “You're in charge while I am gone. I've let everyone who is staying know that they have to listen to what you say. I guess you could call yourself my regent while I'm out of country.” He smirked. 

“They are going to love to have to listen to me,” I said with a laugh. “While you are gone I'm sure everything will go smoothly. We will all just miss you so much. And when you get back, we will have a lot more than just a successful business venture.”

“I'll miss you,” Henry said, putting down his suitcase. He pulled me to him, kissing me in one of the few passionate kisses he shared with me. It had been over two years since Harry had passed and for awhile I thought I had lost Henry as well. It didn't help that he liked to flirt. He liked to feel like everyone around loved him and wanted him. It was hard to see, but now and again he would come back to me and be the Henry I remembered from the very beginning. I didn't want to know or even imagine if he had a fling here and there. I knew if I thought about it for more than a second that it would consume my life. I knew I was living in denial, but I also had nothing to prove that he was unfaithful. I would just keep up the blinders and pray that this pregnancy proves to not be our undoing.

 

֎

 

Eight weeks. Henry had been gone eight weeks and as much as I wished I could pretend that time was going by in flash, it really wasn't. The first two weeks flew right by as I got accustomed to my role as head of the company in Henry's place. But as I hit the middle of the third week, I really began to feel his absence. Even in times when we were not completely getting alone – mainly on Henry's part – we still had never slept apart after reconciling two years before. I had never imagined that Henry's plan to take over the Valois company in France would have taken this long. I didn't know much about it, trying not to imagine it as a hostile take-over, but I just wished it would over and done with. I know Henry had planned on staying at least six weeks to oversee the transition and set up his own men there. But eight weeks was a long time. 

I rested my hand on my stomach as I absently listened to the meeting that was going on around me. I was beginning to have more and more trouble paying attention when I worried about Henry until a phrase caught my attention.

“I'm sorry. Can you please repeat that?” I asked, turning my attention across the table to the man who was speaking. I think his name was Thomas Howard. 

The older man turned his face to me and repeated what he has said. “James Stewart has decided that he wants to take over divisions of our company. He's already started staging a coup in some of the locations near the border of Scotland.”

“That is ridiculous,” I said. “Henry left me in charge when he left. He will not have time to deal with this while he is in France. I want you to take a few representatives over there and smooth this over. I will not have a war while my husband is away. Please see that this is taken care of.”

Thomas looked around at the other men around the table. They were all old fashioned and I knew that they struggled with having a woman tell them what to do but I was not a push over and they had realized that early on. I followed his gaze and made sure that I met the eyes of every man around that table. “Is there a problem or can I depend on you to carry out what I have just asked?” I asked with smile. 

“Of course you can,” Thomas said. “I want nothing more than to see this company flourish. I will leave at once.”

“Good,” I said, leaning back in my chair, my hand on my round stomach, all their eyes following the movement. 

֎

I was in one of the main boardrooms waiting to hear from Thomas or my husband about news from either of the enterprises. It was a week later and I had received very little news, especially about Scotland. James Stewart was married to Margaret and I had tried to reach out to my sister-in-law but had received very little help. She was entirely enthralled by her husband and would do nothing to go against him. Again something she had learned through growing up in the Tudor family. Men came first and wives were obedient. 

I was tapping my fingers impatiently when an intern came running into the boardroom. It looked like he had ran all the way up the stairs rather than take the elevator. “What is it?” I asked, worried about the welfare of my husband. 

He quickly placed a laptop on the table and turned it on and connected it to a projector while I waited, my impatience getting more and more intense. I was about to speak up and demand to know what was going on when Thomas' face appeared on the screen and the intern turned the laptop to face me. “Thomas, whatever is the matter,” I said before he had a chance to say a word.

“I wanted to speak to you right away,” Thomas said. “Face to face.” He paused for a moment. “James Stewart it dead.”

It took me a moment to realize what he was telling me. The man who had tried to steal some of my husband's company was dead? Margaret's husband was dead?

“Did you hear what I said?” Thomas said, his voice almost unable to mask his impatience.

“Yes, yes I did,” I said. “I'm just trying to understand what is happening.”

“He was in an accident this morning,” Thomas said. “I'm not privy to the intimate details but he is dead. That I can confirm.”

“Poor Margaret and her son,” I said softly. “Have you seen her?”

“No,” Thomas said. “She is not seeing anyone.”

“Has anyone told Henry yet?” I asked.

“Not that I am aware,” Thomas answered back, his voice becoming slightly disoriented by the connection. “But I'm sure it's all over the news.”

“Of course,” I said. “Please try and give my sister my condolences and then tie everything up there and come back. I don't think there should be much else we can do at the moment.”

Thomas agreed and the screen went black. I stood up and began to ask for someone to get me phone so I could call Henry when my stomach suddenly seized. I grabbed my stomach, my eyes darting to Bessie who was quickly at my side. 

“Is it the baby?” Bessie asked, her voice strained. 

I nodded. It was all I could do. Nod. My body felt numb, the world rushing around me as they tried to get me back in my chair, someone in the distance calling an ambulance. And then nothing. As my baby left this world, my own went black. 

“Henry, please forgive me.”


End file.
